Oyster dredge



March 10, 1931. B. FAGAN ET AL 1,795,768

OYSTER DREDGE Filed Dec. 22, 1927 2 Sheets-sheet 1 WITNESSES INVENTORS B gyd Fa J an 6.

OKIJWWK I I lzarles Fa yan ATTORNEY March 10, 1931; FAGAN ET AL 1,795,768

OYSTER DREDGE Filed Dec. 22, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 K IIIIIIIIWLIILIQIJIIIIIIIIII|llllllllllllllllllllilllllll u lllllllllkiillllllll'l WITNESSES! INVENTORG.

. Boyd Fayan d, WM Charles Fayan BY W v Armin 15 lightby forming I terialand connect ng the same with a-gen- Patented Mar. 10, 1931 BOYD FAGAN AND cHnnnnsrAGA or nivnnvnnnw JERSEY oYsrnn DREDGE,

Application filed December 22, 1927. Serial no. 241374..

Our invention relates to oyster dredges and has; for an objectthe provision of a light, rugged dredgefwhich possesses all the advantages of a heavy dredge without'the attending objectionable features thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dredge which will beprevented by its construction from landing either in the oyster bed or on the deck of a vessel other than in a right-side-up position.

A further object of the "invention is to" toform a neck 9, as shown in Figures 3 and provide an increased bagging capacity for a dredge of given dredging area. j

The above objects'are accomplished bypro- 1 viding an upper and a lower frame connected together by struts, the upper frame being of greater width and] length than the lower frame so. as to overhang thesamein alldimensions thereof and to provideside and end a''fra'mes sloping from the upper frame end inwardly toward the-:lower converging lower frame belng providedwi-th frame, the a suitable tooth The particular construction may beimade the same of smallgauge ma erous number of struts.

As an oyster several times, a heavy dredge will kill or so weaken the oysters therein and it follows that a light weight dredge is of considerable importance provided that it possesses the requisite strength and rigidity and is capable of gathering the oysters. a5 In the drawings; I 1

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an oyster dredge embodying our invention, 7

Figure 2 a rear end view thereof, Figure 3 a side view of'the dredge shown in Figure 1, and- V Figure 4 a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 4& on Figure 1.

Briefly, our improved dredge consists of relatively light frame membersjstruts and braces connected to them and formingtop, bottom and side frames, truss rods for hold.-

ing the bottom frame members against deflection in either a vertical or lateral direction; all of which are welded together to form a light but exceptionally rigid frame;

bar having teeth thereon.

' dredge on board bed must be dredged over.

a tooth bar for loosening the oysters from the bed, and tension rods for relievingthe strain of the bag on the tooth bar and rear cross bar.

-Referring' now in detail to the drawings,--j

the dredge" has a pair of bottom framemem-' bers 5 and 6, which are preferably rectangu lar in cross sect1on,and.a pair of'top frame members 7-and 8, which are preferably cir-j cular incross section, havlng their forward.

ends welded together and bent downwardly- 4:, whichis provided with a clevis 10 by mean of which the dredge may be towed. I

between. them so as slope upwardly and diverge from one another and have cross bars 13, 1451111115 11' and 12 welded f y Y to form a bottom frame. .From neck 9, top frame members'7 and};

:welded between them so as to form a top frame which is wider than the-bottom frame. I

This is an important feature ofthe inven'-. tion .in that it insures the landing of the the vessel in a natural position. Much trouble and annoyance has beenexperienced by oystermen in the past with dredges in which the top and bottom frames are of the samewidthowing'to the dredges landing bottom. side up or on their sides which is detrimental to the" lasting qualities -The" projecting top-frame offtlie dredge. prevents the turning of "the dr'edge either onto its side or onto its top side when so landing.

ltisobvious from the above that the coin struction as set-forth results in a saving-of labor in turning of the dredges and prolongs the life of the dredge. By this arrangement also the considerableincrease in bagging ca.- pacity of the dredge can given dredging surface which is of decided advantagewherea limitation of the dimensions of the tooth bar and of the lower frame are prescribed law or are I otherwise.

desirable.

It will be noted that theside frames de fined bythe struts connecting the top and bottom frames slope in a convergent ner from the top tothe bottom frame.

be effected for a man- This n 7 bag (not shown), in which the oysters are is also true of the rear end frame which is also rounded in order that should the dredge strike first on this end, the tendency thereof will be to fall forward landing with the lower frame downward. This construction will be hereinafter set forth more in detail.

Braces 16, 17 and 18 have one end of each welded to a bottom frame member, extend upwardly and outwardly and have their other ends welded to the top frame members, thus forming the side frames in each of which also a diagonal brace 19 extends from thevjunction of the bottom frame member and brace 18 to the junction of the top frame member and cross bar 15.

Intermediate the ends of braces 17 and 18, a suitable support for a truss rod, such as a hook 20, is provided. A truss rod 21 is supported in hooks 20 and has its ends welded to bottom member 5 and a second truss rod 22 is similarly connected to the other side frame so that the dredge is stiffened and strengthened against vertically directed loads and strains. The truss rods may, of course, be .welded to braces 17 and .18 instead of em ploying hooks 20 or other fastening means.

A pair. oftruss rods 23 and 2 lhave their ends welded to 'bottom'frame members 5 and 6 and thelr intermediate portions welded or i otherwise secured to struts 11 and 12 intermediate the ends thereofso as to stinfen the dredge transversely. The effect of the truss rods is to allow the use of much lighter materialin the dredge frame while producing a strong, rigid dredge which will function as efiiciently as a heavier dredge without the objectionable effects on the oysters'and the lighter weight permits of much easier handling.

The rear ends of top framemembers 7 and 8 are bent downwardly and inwardly toward the bottom frame to form end posts 25 and 26 between the lower ends of which and the rear ends of bottom frame members 5 and 6 a tooth bar 27 is secured in any suitable mannor, as by bolts 28; tooth bar 27 being preferably detachably secured to the dredge frame so as to allow its removal repairing its teeth.

Secured to each bolt 28 is a guide 29 having a clevis 80 formed on its forward end and encircling a bottom frame -m'ember. The

gathered, is attached to tooth bar 27, end posts 25 and 26, cross bar and guides 29. In order to assist crossbar 1 5 and tooth bar 27in supporting the weight and pull of Q the bag and its contacts, a draw bar 31 is Welded into neck 9 and provided with an eye at its rear end for receiving a bolt 32 to which is attached, on either-side of the draw bar, a back brace 83 sloping inwardly from the top to the bottom frame and a bottom brace34 which have clevises 35 and 36 secured for sharpenmg or to their rear ends and encircling cross bar 15 and tooth bar 27, respectively.

It is to be understood that the above described embodiment of the invention is to be considered as illustrative of the principles thereof and that various changes may be made in the construction as hereinbefore outlined within the spirit of the invention as set forth in the specification and hereinafter claimed.

1. An oyster dredge including top and bottom frame members fastened together at their forward ends and diverging therefrom, cross bars, braces and struts joining the frame members to form the top, bottom and side frames, a the side frames, and means for stiffening the side frames whereby lighter frames may be used; the top frame being considerably wider than the bottom frame.

2. An oyster dredge including top and bottoln frame members fastened together at their forward ends and dlverging therefrom,

cross bars, braces and struts joining. the

used; the top frame being considerably wider than the bottom frame.

3. An oyster dredge including a triangular bottom frame,

frame,'having its forward end connected to the forward end of the bottom frame and its rear ends bent downwardly and connected to tooth bar connected between V a triangular top frame, of I considerably greater width than the bottom the rear ends of the bottom frame, a tooth bar connected between said rear ends, braces separating each side of the top frame from the corresponding side of the bottom frame, truss rods secured to certain ofsai'd braces and to the sides of the bottom frame, struts connecting the two sides of the bottom frame, and truss rods connected to the struts and to the sides of the bottom frame.

4. An oyster dredge having a bottom frame and a top frame, frame being wider than-the bottom frame.

5. An oyster dredge having spaced top and bottom frames and from the top frame to the bottom frame.

6. An oyster dredge having spacedtop and bottom frames, and end and side parts, connecting the top and bottom frames and con-' spaced apart, saidto'p side members converging V 

